Abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board — 24 Apr 2013 at 17:37

The majority of MPs voted in favour of abolishing the Agricultural Wages Board.

The board was an independent statutory body which set minimum wage rates and other minimum employment terms and conditions for agricultural workers in England and Wales.[1]

The motion rejected in this vote was:

That this House

notes that the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) was set up in 1948 to provide a fair wage and skills structure for agricultural workers;

recognises that it is used as a benchmark for other employment in the food industry and that it was the only wages council not to be scrapped in the 1980s;

further notes that around a quarter of agricultural workers live in tied accommodation and that casual seasonal workers may move around the country;

regrets that the Welsh Government’s wish to retain the AWB has been ignored by the Government;

condemns the Government for its abolition of the AWB, which took place after just four weeks consultation and will take £260 million out of the rural economy over the next 10 years, lead to a race to the bottom on wages in rural areas, reduce living standards and impoverish rural workers, exacerbating social deprivation and harming social inclusion;

further regrets that hon. Members could not debate that issue as part of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill; and

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